Biofuels such as ethanol have seen increased use as an additive or replacement for petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline. Ethanol may be produced by fermentation of simple sugars produced from sources of starch (e.g., corn starch) or from lignocellulosic biomass.
There are a variety of widely available sources of lignocellulosic biomass including, corn stover, agricultural residues (e.g., straw, corn cobs, etc.), woody materials, energy crops (e.g., sorghum, poplar, etc.), and bagasse (e.g., sugarcane). Lignocellulosic biomass is a relatively inexpensive and readily available feedstock for the preparation of sugars, which may be fermented to produce alcohols such as ethanol.
Preparation of ethanol from biomass involves methods for increasing the accessibility of cellulose to downstream enzymatic hydrolysis. There is a continuing need for methods for preparing biomass for enzymatic hydrolysis that result in removal of contaminants from biomass feedstock and that involve relatively uniform impregnation of biomass with processing fluid (e.g., dilute acid).
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.